The reunion committee mailed an information packet and reservation form on October 31, 2005, to all persons on their regular mail list of approximately 180 former squadron mates. This website has an email list of about 70 addresses and they will be reminded of the planned reunion for 2006 in Jacksonville. Future reunions will be scheduled every 2 years as a result of a 2003 survey . A brief recap of the 2006 plans are:
Friday, Feb. 10...5:00pm - casual dinner at Whitney's Fish Camp
Saturday, Feb. 11...9:00am - breakfast at NAS JAX's 19th Hole (Mulligans) 10:30 briefing at FAW-11
Sunday, Feb. 12 ...9:00am again breakfast at Mulligans before departing.
Please request a reunion packet and reservation form from:
VP18 Reunion Committee
2346 Oceanforest Drive, West
Atlantic Beach, Florida 32233
Tel...(904) 247-6649
Fax..(904) 247-6616
The committee members are: Bob Hall and Russ Duffey
Reservation and Payment deadline...January, 15, 2006
2006 REUNION ......... STAN BROOKS and ROGER BESSETTE
top row... GUS ELISON, STAN BROOKS, ROGER BESSETTE
bottom row... CHARLIE FIELDS AND SCOTT PURCELL
THESE PICTURES WERE TAKEN DURING THE VP-18 REUNION 2/10/06 - 2/12/06.
THE P2V-7 IN THE BACKGROUND IS PART OF THE AIRCRAFT EXHIBITION JUST TO THE RIGHT AS YOU ENTER NAS JAX.
WE WERE AT NAS 2/11/06 TO HEAR A PRESENTATION WHICH WAS PART OF THE
ACTIVITIES LAST SATURDAY MORNING AFTER BREAKFAST AT THE NAS.
STAN BROOKS
Hi Richard:
The plane is just a static display. In fact, I didn't see the radar dome attached to the plane.
I was a radioman on crew 10 during 1957-1959 with Gordon Raymer, our pilot.
The plane at JAX was sealed off and I'm sure the engines are never started.
I would have loved to have gotten on the plane on a tour or, on my own but it wasn't to be.
I joined the navy at 17, just 5 days after graduating from high school.
When discharged I attended college , got my MBA and spent my career as a CPA.
After our reunion dinner and dessert last Saturday night everyone at each table individually stood and said something. When it was my turn I didn't know what to say but finally said that there were some people in the room that I once had to call "mister" but could now call by their first names.
It was great to see the people I remember some 47 years ago. Some of us keep in contact through e-mail.
Take care. Stan
Wives... Linda Brooks and Betsy Bessette
left to right: ROGER BESSETTE, DON SIMS, STAN BROOKS, GUS ELISON
Don Sims Charlie Hupp
Stan and Linda Brooks
Don Sims Buzz Krauss Don Huth
A visit with Buzz at his home in Georgia after the reunion
L-R Don Huth-Don Sims-Will Parks-Scott Pursell and
Chief Pryor at attention
Paul Herring Lee Strong
Don Huth John Cain Don Sims
Bill and Mary Pryor Ed and BeBe Dubravsky
BeBe Dubravsky Kay Sims Alice Huth
Bryan Anderson
Page Visits
Don and Kay Sims
Robert Hall and Russ Duffey
We thank you for all your efforts to make the VP-18 Reunions a great memory...!!!!!
